Erin Smith
Brooklyn, NY, United States
Erin Smith was diagnosed with celiac disease in the early 1980s, so she’s been eating gluten-free almost her entire life. Erin has a unique perspective of growing up in the gluten-free community and blogs about living — and enjoying — a gluten-free lifestyle.
Erin Smith has been writing her gluten-free lifestyle blog Gluten-Free Fun since 2007. In 2011, she launched Gluten-Free Globetrotter, a website that encourages those with celiac disease to travel the world and not be scared about eating gluten-free domestically and abroad. Erin is also the lead organizer of the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group, a social community that has grown to over 1850 members in the 8 years she has been organizing the group.
http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com
http://glutenfreeglobetrotter.comSee my complete profile

If you couldn't tell from a full week of blog postings dedicated to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness Appetite for Awareness event last Sunday, I had an excellent time. The restaurants and chefs, the vendors, the friendly faces, the location... it was really just such a great day.

When diagnosed almost thirty years ago, my parents had very limited resources and felt helpless at times. Here was their toddler daughter struggling with getting a diagnosis of anything and then getting slammed with the news of Celiac what?!?!

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness provides the resources that weren't readily available 30 years ago. Events such as the Appetite for Awareness event make those diagnosed with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, and other allergies realize that they are not alone in this world. There is an amazing support system being backed by organizations such as the NFCA for people diagnosed today to lean on.

I want to personally thank Alice Bast and her amazing team at the NFCA. Thank you for the invitation to the Appetite for Awareness and I hope to see you in 2011 if not before then.

Most Awesome JournalistRenegade KitchenWatch out! Renegade Kitchen is on the job! Turn around and you have a Flip camera in your face and you are being interviewed by Dan a.k.a. Renegade Kitchen. Not only is Dan an awesome interviewer, he is also the chef behind the NFCA demo cooking videos. His videos of the Appetite for Awareness day should be up on his site soon, with an impromptu interview with yours truly. Here is a picture of Renegade Kitchen interviewing cookbook author Silvana Nardone and her son Isaiah, the one and only from "Cooking With Isaiah".

Most Deserving of Cheerleaders and a Fan ClubJill Brack of Glow Gluten FreeI have had the pleasure of attending many events with Jill since we met in September and we are quickly becoming good friends. Jill is dynamic, friendly, humble yet extremely passionate about her products with so much gluten-free love going into these gluten-free cookies. Jill really should always be followed by a band of Glow Cheerleaders!

Most Likely to Make You Cry (in a good way)Soft Pretzels by Tonya's Gluten Free KitchenI never had a gluten-free soft pretzel. EVER. Tonya's Gluten Free Kitchen is the only vendor table that I went back to FOUR times to get samples. Gluten-free pretzels that are soft, warm, and covered with just he right amount of salt equals major delicious points in my book. I literally wanted to cry after trying these pretzels. They were that good.

Best Sandwiches of the DayRudi's Gluten Free BakeryYou all already know I am a fan from my Tuesday blog post, but Rudi's seriously made some outstanding sandwiches at the Appetite for Awareness event. They had grilled cheese in the main hall and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the Children's Pavilion. For those that did not venture to the kids section, you definitely missed out! I am not usually a PB&J fan, but these sandwiches were delicious. They also had Amie, of The Healthy Appple, at the table and her positive energy about Rudi's was contagious.

Coolest New Travel ProductRebecca & Devyn's Gluten Free to Go I think these are a really great idea. These "to go" packages take some of your favorite allergy-free snacks and put them into one resealable package. Some snacks include Enjoy Life cookies, Stretch Island Fruit Company fruit strips, Yummy Earth Organic Peppermints and more. They are perfect for traveling, car rides, or even trips to the park with your kids. These Gluten Free to Go packs are a quick and convenient way to grab safe and allergy-free food on the run.

Gluten Free to Go was founded as a way to live simply and safely with food allergies and still have a normal life. Whether you are a busy mom or a business professional on the go, enjoy our allergy friendly snack packs, gluten-free and available free of the top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, and soy).

There were so many awesome gluten-free vendors and restaurants at the Appetite for Awareness event this past weekend, that I decided to give out my very first Gluten-Free Fun Vendy Awards. Congratulations to all of the winners!

A4A10 Gluten-Free Fun Vendy Awards: Part 1

Best Restaurant PlateBraised veal cheek with marsala wine, caramelized Vidalia onion, and pancetta from Butcher & SingerI don't usually eat veal, but this was delicious. Chef Anthony says "Veal cheeks are a great item to use in a braised dish because of their great flavor and texture. It is a cut of meat that rarely dries out. Most braised meats at some point begin to shred apart and become dry if they are cooked too long. As will cheeks, but because of the higher amount of gelatin that it naturally has it is able to maintain great texture and stay moist for a longer period of time."

Chef Anthony Goodwin attended the Philadelphia Restaurant School, where he learned the importance of proper technique and execution. Shortly after graduating, he worked as a line cook at Chef Georges Perrier’s Brasserie Perrier, and was quickly promoted to sous chef and, subsequently, executive sous chef. After almost 5 years, Goodwin desired a change and moved to the modern Italian restaurant, Avenue B, and later served as chef de cuisine at Bliss for 5 years. During his tenure, Bliss was named “Best New Restaurant of 2004” by Esquire magazine. In 2008, Goodwin joined Starr Restaurants’ Pod and in April 2010 became the executive chef of Butcher and Singer, another Starr Restaurant. Recently, Philadelphia magazine awarded Butcher and Singer the title of “Best Steakhouse of 2010.”

Best Palette CleanserMojito Sorbet from Pure GourmetAfter so many plates from the Philadelphia chefs, this sorbet was a really refreshing flavor. I hope Pure Gourmet starts distribution in New York City soon.

Pure Gourmet Sorbets are bold and intense frozen specialty desserts created by international food icon, Chef Georges Perrier for the patrons of his world-famous restaurant, Le Bec Fin.

Biggest and Best Gluten-Free Product LineSchärI have already blogged about my love of all Schär products. I seriously never had a Schär product that I didn't like. The table was hosted by Anne Lee, Schär's Director of Nutritional Services, who is always friendly and knowledgeable.

Most "Normal" Display of The DayDietz & Watson/The Grainless Baker Hoagie StationCall them hoagies, subs, grinders, sandwiches, or whatever else you want but just look at this spread!!! These sandwiches were on The Grainless Baker hoagie rolls and were stacked with Dietz & Watson cold cuts and condiments. This looks like your every day catering plate except there is one big difference, it is all gluten-free! I took one for the road and ate it while stuck in traffic. So delicious and so "normal" looking. Even your most gluten-eating friends would have enjoyed these sandwiches.

Best Way to Wash Down the SamplesBard's BeerA favorite of mine. I am excited about increased distribution to bars and restaurants in New York City. Bard's is a gluten-free, American Lager made from sorghum, yeast, hops and water—contains no wheat, barley, rye or oats and is naturally gluten-free. The taste is rich and refreshing.

On Sunday, October 24th I was honored to be invited to a brunch hosted by Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery at 10 Arts in the Ritz Carlton Philadelphia. I had been emailing with Doug Radi, Vice President of Marketing at Charter Baking Company, Inc., the parent company of Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery, for a few weeks so I was very excited to meet some of the people behind this gluten-free bread company. I was also hoping to meet Jane Miller, Rudi's CEO, but she was not in Philadelphia this past weekend.

I walked into the beautiful 10 Arts at the Ritz Carlton and was immediately greeted by Doug from Rudi's and his Linhart PR team, Dayna and Elexis. Everyone was really friendly and excited to be reaching out to the gluten-free blogger community. There was a delicious display of Rudi's gluten free breads on the main table with a menu at each plate. The night before the brunch, I had texted my friend Sue of GlutenFreeLI and told her that I was hoping for some gluten-free French toast. Much to my delight, this was the first menu item listed on our special Rudi's/10 Arts menu. Cinnamon raisin French toast... gluten free! YES!

The brunch quickly started filling up with familiar gluten-free friends as well as some new faces. I had been emailing Mike from Gluten-Free Philly for months now, so I was happy to meet him and his family in person. I also reconnected with Jennifer Iannolo from the brand-new Zenfully Delicious and GildedFork.com. We sat together at an event back in 2007 and Jennifer remembered me immediately and kindly reminded me of our meeting. I also met Gluten-Free Mike and Paul Biscione of Loving Food Again. Also at my table was the lovely Alice Bast of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. I had met Alice at another NFCA event a few years ago, but it was so nice to sit and eat breakfast with her in such a friendly setting. The dynamic duo from NFCA, Whitney and Cheryl, were also at the brunch but had to run off for the Appetite for Awareness set up. Sue Moller of Gluten-FreeLI, Dan Kohler of Renegade Kitchen, Chef Monica Glass from 10 Arts, and Maureen Stanley of Hold the Gluten were also all at the Rudi's brunch. There were some additional people that I didn't get the opportunity to meet since were all busy chatting and enjoying our gluten-free breakfast.

Doug kicked off the brunch by talking about the history of Rudi's. Although Rudi's Gluten Free is a new kid on the block, Rudi's Organic Bakery was founded in 1976. Over two years ago, Rudi's decided that they wanted to move into the gluten-free bread world. The team bought a bunch of different gluten-free breads and tried them all. The group was greatly disappointed in the gluten-free breads, which made them even more determined to create a perfect gluten-free bread. Rudi's started working on their gluten-free breads and even reached out to the NFCA to learn more about Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet. Two years and 200 formulations later, Rudi's made not one but three gluten-free breads!

Launched in July 2010 and available in all 50 states, Rudi's now offers certified gluten-free Original, Multigrain, and Cinnamon Raisin breads with no artificial ingredients. In addition, their breads are soy and dairy free. All gluten-free breads at Rudi's are produced on a dedicated line on dedicated days in their production facility. Every batch is tested for gluten both internally and at an external lab for less than 10ppm of gluten. (The FDA currently includes 20 ppm or less gluten as a criteria in its definition of "gluten-free".) To read more about Rudi's gluten-free production process, click here.

As if a delicious gluten-free bread isn't enough, Rudi's also gives back to the community. They donate over 50,000 pounds of bread to food banks each year, including hopefully providing an upcoming donation of gluten-free bread to the first gluten-free food bank in Loveland, CO. There is an effort to eliminate waste at Rudi's so they send unused bread to pig farms. Let me tell you, those Colorado pigs are eating well.

I really could go on and on about Rudi's Gluten Free breads, their staff, and their dedication to the gluten-free community. It was so nice to have a very down-to-earth conversation with Doug, Dayna, and Elexis. They answered all of our questions and were extremely knowledgeable about Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet. It is obvious that Rudi's cares deeply about getting their gluten-free products "right" before putting them out on the shelves. Although their gluten-free product list is short at the moment, they are currently working hard on perfecting additional gluten-free products. Doug said it is Rudi's Gluten Free mission to put out a full line of gluten-free products in the future.

Thank you Rudi's Gluten Free for including me in this fantastic event. I look forward to the future of Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery!

On Sunday, October 24, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness hosted their Appetite for Awareness event. In a new location for 2010, the event was held in the Philadelphia Navy Yard right on the Delaware River. As soon as you pulled up to this event, you knew that you were about to enter something special. Attendees were greeted with fun signs encouraging you to "go ahead and eat it" and to "Have your cake and eat it too." There were hundreds of people patiently waiting to enter to event to get their gluten-free groove on. What a way to start the day!

When you walked into the building, you were immediately greeted by the cheery NFCA volunteers and staff and given an empty reusable bag courtesy of Wegman's. From there, your gluten-free dream day could now begin. Attendees had the choice of turning left and sampling restaurant's gluten-free meals and heading towards the Children's Pavilion or heading right and trying more restaurants, going to the gluten-free Biergarten, or trying samples from more gluten-free vendors than you could ever imagine. All of this in a building the size of an airplane hanger is really quite overwhelming, even to the most experienced Celiac.

The restaurant area was a good place to start since it was directly in front of you when you walked in. There were more than ten restaurants from around the Philadelphia area preparing gluten-free dishes to sample. Every table was manned by the Chef of that restaurant and usually accompanied by a medical professional. These dishes were not your average gluten-free samples, these were mini gourmet plates. Veal, duck truffles, tacos, lasagna, and lobster rolls were just a small portion of what was available to try. Restaurants included Bar Ferdinand, Buddakan, Butcher and Singer, Chifa, City Tavern, El Ray, Grandma's Grotto, Jack Kramer's Catering, Le Bec-Fin, Le Castagne, The Palm, Main Line Pizza, L'OCA, Pasta Pomodoro, Rouge, Terra, and Zahav. Right next to the restaurant area was a bar area serving soft drinks, Redbridge beer, wine and Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka. Gluten-free hors d'oeuvres and cocktails! What could be better?

After trying all of the restaurant samples, it was time to move on to the gluten-free vendors. Over 40 vendors were at at the Appetite for Awareness event. To have this many choices for so many "normal" foods was just amazing. There were desserts, crackers, juice, grilled cheese sandwiches, to-go packages, hoagies, frozen food, condiments, and even gluten-free soft pretzels. All you could do was walk from table to table in gluten-free bliss. The vendors were offering samples of many of their products and many were also selling their gluten-free goods at a discounted price. It was great to not only try the new gluten-free food, but to chat one-on-one with the gluten-free vendors. Many of the vendors started their companies because either the owner has Celiac Disease or one of their family members required a gluten-free diet. The love and dedication behind the gluten-free vendors was very inspiring. Vendors such as Glow Gluten Free Cookies and Tonya's Gluten-Free Kitchen both started with gluten-free family members and now are amazing products for gluten-free people to enjoy.

The day was not over after sampling from the restaurants and the vendors. In the Drexel Education Center, attendees could watch live chef demonstrations by Monica Glass, Chef Georges Perrier, and cookbook author Silvana Nardone. Or you could head in the other direction and visit the Children's Pavillion for face painting, a bouncy castle, or gluten-free peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery, and additional vendors or information booths.

The Appetite for Awareness by NFCA day was really more than anyone who is gluten-free and has Celiac Disease could ask for in an event. Being in a room of all of these wonderful gluten-free friends, family, vendors, restaurants, and medical professionals was really quite an amazing experience. All of the support and food made you feel quite normal for the day and hopeful for the gluten-free future. No one questioned your food choices, no one judged your additional allergies, everyone was smiling and praising the event. It really was a wonderful experience and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness did a wonderful job executing a perfect Appetite for Awareness. Here's to 2011.

More pictures and blog postings to come!

About the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) from their websiteThe NFCA drives diagnosis of celiac disease, imporves quality-of-life for children and families adhering to a gluten-free diet and advances science by facilitating collaborations within the healthcare community.

NFCA is a leading resource for celiac information. NFCA's website offers free, comprehensive information and support materials for celiac patients, their families and health care providers (including a comprehensive Symptoms Checklist and a Getting Started Guide), accredited training for healthcare and food industry professionals and the latest news, recipes, videos and blogs to promote quality of life without compromise.

Tune in to "The Balancing Act" on Lifetime TV October 25th at 7:00 am (ET/PT) 6:00 am (CT/MT) on Lifetime Television

Hear Phyllis Kessler, President, Celiac Disease Foundation South Florida Chapter, talk about the efforts the foundation is making to raise awareness of Celiac and provide resources to those who currently suffer from the disease.

"Celiac Disease Foundation has been raising awareness of this vastly under diagnosed disease for over 20 years. Celiac is one of the most common genetic disorders in the world, yet most people don't even know what it is. The Balancing Act is a great opportunity to educate viewers about this disease and make them aware of the resources and guidance that CDF provides."

Over the years, CDF has built a community of patients, families, and healthcare professionals whose combined efforts have helped improve the quality of life for people with Celiac Disease. They have also tirelessly promoted early detection of the disease, which can drastically lower the chances of more severe consequences like osteoporosis, anemia and infertility.

"Having Phyllis Kessler from the Celiac Disease Foundation on 'The Balancing Act' has brought yet another great solution to women, one that will have a real impact, and help them balance their lives. This is the essence of solutions-based programming, and we are proud that we could bring this information to our viewers" says Doug Campbell, Founder and Executive VP of Programming for The Balancing Act.

After my review of the New Planet Tread Lightly Ale, I was asked by New Planet to contribute to their blog. I was thrilled by this request. You can read my full article from October 14, 2010 on the New Planet website.

Here is an excerpt:

How to find informative gluten-free information online

The buzz words “gluten-free” seem to be everywhere these days; but nowhere is gluten-free more prevalent than on the Internet. When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease in the 1980s, there was no Internet. The research my family did was mostly with doctors, by word-of-mouth, or from the rare book we found in bookstores and libraries. Today, you can type “gluten-free” into any search engine and literally get millions of results for your search. This explosion of information about gluten-free diets, Celiac Disease, and more is amazing but you should explore these online resources wisely.

Submit your original recipe online at www.CeliacCentral.org/Contest or via email at RecipeContest@celiaccentral.org.

Recipes must be gluten-free and use at least one Thai Kitchen product.

Entries must include full name, email address, recipe title, ingredients, preparation instructions, estimated prep/cook time and estimated number of servings. All entrants must also check the box next to “Acknowledgment of Ownership” for online submissions or copy and paste the statement for email submissions.

I appreciate Carol taking the time to blog and tweet about such a dynamic community. I often find gluten-free bloggers to be competitive with one another but Carol could not have been more gracious about adding me to this list.

If you are a gluten-free blogger and you would like to join theGluten Free Global Community send Carol an email at Carol@SimplyGluten-Free.com with "GFGC" in the subject line and include the following information:

The name of your blogYour blog urlYour blog logo or a photo of youYour first nameA couple sentences about your blog.If you host any community activities such as weekly or monthly round-ups, contests, etc. let me know that too and include a link to the information page.

I met Dan Kohler of Renegade Kitchen at the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Potluck picnic with Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef a few weeks ago. This past Thursday, I met Craig Pinto of Kicking4Celiac at the Celiac Disease Center's fundraiser gala. Put the two of this dynamic guys together and you get one kick-ass video (pun totally intended!)

On October 10, 2010, Craig Pinto set a Guinness Book of World Records new world record for kicking 717 field goals in 12 hours. Craig, the field kicker for the New Jersey Revolution arena football team, had the goal to not only set this World record but to also raise awareness for Celiac Disease. Through his website, a pre-kick party, and his big day, Craig raised over $5000 for the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. Congratulations to Craig, our very own Celiac World Record holder!

I was lucky enough to attend a Schär-hosted event back in July. It was really a highlight of my summer. To attend such an informative event and not even think twice about anything I am eating was wonderful. They provided an abundance of gluten-free food and I went back to the office that day in a food coma. (in a good way!)

In September, Schär sent me a package of gluten-free food including pasta, breadcrubms, breadsticks, cookies, and parbaked rolls. This made for a gluten-free Italian feast in my house. I absolutely love the breadsticks. This time I remember to bake the parbaked rolls and it is even better than when I ate one right out of the package.

Like I said, if you aren't eating Schär you should run out and buy some of their gluten-free products today. You can also buy them online if you can't find them locally. I am a huge fan of Schär and I am excited to see their distribution expanding throughout the United States.

Last night, I was extremely honored to be invited as a guest of the Celiac Disease Center of Columbia University to their 9th Annual Gala Fundraiser. This is their biggest event of the year and it was a wonderful night. I saw so many familiar faces from the Celiac community as well as meeting a lot of new people. I am always surprised by how many people know who I am, but after running the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group for 4 years I guess my name gets around.

I recently met Jill Brack of Glow Gluten Free Cookies and we instantly hit it off. She is a dynamic person with so much passion behind her product. Both Jill and her daughter Stella have Celiac Disease, so there is a lot of love behind her cookies. Not to mention, she has some awesome packaging. I took him some Snickerdoodles and probably ate three of them on the subway home! Jill was presented with an award last night at the gala and much to my surprise she mentioned me during her speech. I was so honored!

Amazon is having a promotion for "Celiac Awareness Month." GF groceries are on sale up to 30% off, and if you sign up for Subscribe & Save, you can get an extra 15% off of eligible items. If you don't want regular shipments, just cancel the order later.

Here's the text of the promotion:

Up to 30% Off Gluten FreeSave up to 30% on Gluten Free groceries for Celiac Awareness month sponsored by General Mills. Choose from great offers on General Mills, Oskri, Nature's Path, Glutino, Pirate's Brand, Boomi and Pranabar, Ener-G Foods, Pure bar and more. Offer valid through October 31, 2010.

Join NFCA as Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, PhD, Training Director at Bay Area Family Therapy & Training Associates, goes beyond the physical and explains how celiac disease can affect us mentally.

Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, PhD, is the Training Director at Bay Area Family Therapy & Training Associates where she sees private clients and supervises the counseling work of doctoral and post-doctoral students in psychology. Marie-Nathalie also teaches a number of classes such as Child Development and Family Therapy at John F. Kennedy University. She presents internationally and has published several books, including a translated bestseller, Responding to the Culture of Bullying and Disrespect.

Since herself being diagnosed and having her son afflicted with celiac disease, Marie-Nathalie has started researching, writing about and increasing people’s awareness of this issue. She is currently co-authoring an article titled, "A Medical Issue Affecting the Diagnosis of Mood, Attention and Autistic Disorders: A Closer Look at Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance."

Dr. Beaudoin will:

Discuss the link between celiac disease and conditions such as depression, anxiety and "brain fog"

I am happy to announce the winner of the Bisquick® Gluten Free Giveaway here at Gluten-Free fun is Barbara O. of East Sandwich, MA. Barbara's daughter-in-law Joan of New Jersey submitted an entry to this giveaway on her behalf. I love family members helping each other out! Thanks to MyBlogSpark for the giveaway prize

You all know I am counting down the days until I hop on that BoltBus to Philadelphia for the NFCA Appetite for Awareness event. They are putting together such a fantastic line-up this year. Announced last week, Silvana Nardone will be signing copies of her new book, Cooking for Isaiah. I was "introduced" to Silvan's blog and book at the end of the summer by a mutual friend and I am looking forward to meeting her in person.

Here is more about Silvana from the NFCA website:

Gluten-free blogger and author Silvana Nardone will be signing copies of her new cookbook, Cooking for Isaiah, at Appetite for Awareness on Oct. 24, 2010 at the Philadelphia Naval Yard.

Silvana will also demonstate and sample some of her delicious and easy-to-make gluten-free recipes, including a surprise recipe that will tantalize your tastebuds!

Watch a video segment from "Good Morning America" featuring Silvana and a few of her gluten-free recipes.

About Silvana NardoneSilvana Nardone is the former editor in chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. A writer, editor, cooking instructor and food consultant, Silvana is the author of Cooking for Isaiah and co-author of Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian.

Previously, Silvana was an editor at Food & Wine magazine before opening her Italian bakery, Fanciulla. She has appeared on NBC’s "Weekend Today," CBS’s "News This Morning," ABC’s "Eyewitness News This Morning" and the Food Network’s "Roker on the Road." She has also been featured in The New York Times and in New York magazine.Silvana lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Stephen and their two children, Isaiah, 13, and Chiara, 4.

We all know that gluten-free foods are the trend of the moment but I am predicting the next big trend will be celebrity-endorsed, gluten-free products.

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!

Celebrities are already endorsing the gluten-free diet as a "weight loss" regimen, so why not jump on that bandwagon a little bit more and make a profit off the gluten-free trend of the moment?

There are celebrities that have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and truly need to be on a gluten-free diet. Just this week, Dana Delaney of Desperate Housewives, was featured on the cover of Prevention Magazine talking about her diagnosis and eating habits once diagnosed with Celiac. But it seems more often than not, celebrities are eating gluten-free for the wrong reasons. Do an Internet search on "celebrities + gluten-free" and you will see exactly what I mean. Count how many actually have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance. Then count how many weigh over 100lbs and are bigger than a size 0!!

Celebrities and their products

Now it seems that being on the diet is no longer enough to be noticed. Creating your own line of gluten-free products is now the way to be in the "in-crowd" amongst gluten-free celebrities.

Although I still don't know who she is except for hottie Bradley Cooper's ex-wife, apparently Jennifer Esposito has her own line of gluten-free baking mixes. Rumor also has it that a daytime talk show host is also working on her own gluten-free goodies.

Now, Mariel Hemingway is making a new type of gluten-free snack called a Blisscuit. Apparently a Blisscuit is "neither a health bar nor a traditional cookie... Blisscuits™ are part of a new building category known as "functional food". No refined sugar – still sweet – low carbs – no wheat with a gluten free recipe – high comfort – real food and Blisscuits help to boost your immune system!"

I don't even know what "functional foods" are except for another buzz word being thrown in my face. According to Wikipedia, "Functional foods are any healthy food claimed to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients." I am sure Mariel means well, but for some reason when I got the press release yesterday announcing this new product and celebrity alliance and I was annoyed.

As many of my readers know, I have always felt that any press is good press for the Celiac Disease community. Talking about eating gluten-free, even by celebs, will clearly show there is a demand for gluten-free products. I am just frustrated by the trendiness of it all. What happens next year when gluten-free is out and functional foods are in? Does that mean the gluten-free shelves will be empty? I hope not!

To me, a gluten-free product is a gluten-free product. I won't go out and buy it just because the creator was in a movie, commercial, or on TV. If it tastes good and is safe for me to eat, I will give it a try. Good luck to those celebrities trying to launch their gluten-free products. Just do us all a favor and make your product good enough to stick around for a long while!

My Granookies arrived very quickly, and I didn’t even wait for my daughter to get home from school before I opened the box. The box had two bags of chocolate chip Granookies and two bags of apricot cinnamon Granookies along with a cute t-shirt.

Granookies are gluten free, but they are also dairy free, soy free, and nut free (which means my non-gluten free, tree nut allergic husband can have them too). I like that 95% of the ingredients are organic and that Granookies do not have anything artificial. They do contain gluten free oats, so if you don’t eat oats, they aren’t for you.

Each bag contained six Granookies. They are a combination of granola and cookies, but my best description of Granookies would be a chewy cluster. They look more like granola, but they are not dry like granola and are somewhat held together in a cookie/cluster shape.

I have to admit upfront that I am not a big raisin fan. They just don’t appeal to me, so I was a little unsure about how much I would like Granookies since both flavors have raisins. I was pleasantly surprised.

The Granookies are very moist and have a nice combination of crunchy and chewy, although I would say they are more chewy than crunchy. They definitely don’t taste like some healthful items where you can tell someone just put all the good-for-you stuff they could think of together and really didn’t think about how it tastes. Granookies taste good.

As for the specific flavors, you can taste the chocolate in the chocolate chip flavor (yeah!). However, for those of you who don’t love chocolate as much as I do, the chocolate is not overwhelming. The apricot cinnamon had a nice, mellow flavor that was good on its own but would pair well with vanilla yogurt or ice cream. The chocolate chip flavor was definitely my favorite, but for the most part chocolate will beat out just about anything else for me.

My five-year-old daughter tried the Granookies as well and declared them a winner. She went for the chocolate chip Granookie first (big surprise) but finished off her apricot cinnamon Granookie with just as much zeal. My husband also tried Granookies on his morning yogurt. He said he liked the taste, but he does prefer a crunchier topping.

Two Granookies have 100 calories and 2.5g of fat for chocolate chip and 1.5g fat for apricot cinnamon. For a healthful, tasty treat, I think they are a very good option. The chocolate chip granookies could definitely satisfy a sweets/chocolate craving for me without too much guilt.

The primary negative to the Granookies is that they are kind of messy. Once you bite into a cluster, it starts to fall apart. Because of that, these are probably not the best “on the go/car” snack for my daughter.

Cons- The “clusters” don’t hold together well, which I guess is not a bad thing if you are going to break them up anyway to use them as a topping- Could be kind of messy for an “on the go/car” snack for kids

My Ratings Breakdown:Health Factor: 5/5 (works with all my family’s dietary needs, made from good stuff)Taste: 4/5 (mostly because of the raisins for me)Convenience Factor: 4/5 (could be messy for on-the-go)

As you know, General Mills is working very hard to reach out to the gluten-free community. I believe with the launch of many new products and their LiveGlutenFreely.com website, they recognize that the gluten-free community is here to stay. They seem responsive to their customers; A friend recently inquired about the ingredient of Yoplait Yogurt, here was the response she received from General Mills.

Dear Ms. D:

Thank you for contacting us about gluten in Yoplait yogurt.

General Mills offers several products that are labeled gluten-free. Please check the package label for the gluten-free statement on the front/side/back of the package. Only products that can be verified to be gluten free will be declared as gluten free on the label. It is important to check the product label each time you purchase a product because it has the most accurate information about the product in the package.

Because we constantly strive to improve our products′ quality and nutritional value, the most up-to-date product information is on the package the product is purchased in. For that reason, we do not distribute product information lists as they could quickly become outdated. A current list of products on the market that are gluten free can be found by visiting www.liveglutenfreely.com . It is important to check the package label before purchasing for the gluten-free statement on the front/side/back of the package to verify that the package you choose is gluten free.

For products not labeled gluten free, we will always declare gluten containing ingredients if they are added to the product. If the ingredient declaration lists wheat, oats, barley, rye, or derivatives of these grains, then the product contains gluten. Examples of derivative ingredients include: malt, barley malt, organic malt, semolina, Durham, triticale, and spelt. We do not include gluten containing ingredients in the ′Natural Flavors′ or ′Spices′ on the product ingredient list. If there are gluten ingredients in our products, those ingredients are always clearly listed.

If there are no gluten- containing ingredients listed in the product ingredient label, but the product does not make a gluten free claim, it is because we cannot fully assure that this product is gluten free. While we have not added gluten-containing ingredients, factors such as sourcing, conditions of manufacture, etc. do not allow us to provide the full level of assurance that a gluten free claim requires.

Last week I blogged about a Bisquick® Gluten Free care package I recieved from MyBlogSpark. Well, now I am offering you your very own care package! The Bisquick Gluten Free prize pack includes a box of Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix, a pancake pan, pancake pen and a pancake flipper. Tell me why you would like this care package and I will do a random drawing at the end of the week. You will then receive your care package directly from MyBlogSpark within a couple of weeks. Leave a comment including your email address and I will contact you if you are the randomly chosen winner. Good luck!

Today is the first day of October which means it is the first day of Celiac Awareness Month. There has always been some debate over when the OFFICIAL Celiac Awareness month is, but in my head we should constantly make others aware of Celiac Disease.

To kick off Celiac Awareness month, Stop&Shop and Giant Supermarkets are offering a free subscription to Rachel Ray Magazine. To qualify for this free subscription, use your Stop & Shop® Card or Giant BonusCard® and purchase $7.00 or more of the participating gluten-free items from the Natural and Specialty department in a single purchase transaction. (Check link below for specific UPC Codes on the products)

Qualifying brands include:

Annies

Glutino Crackers

Glutino Pretzels

Garden Lites

Lara Bars

Simply Asia

Kettle Chips

Dale and Thomas

Food Should Taste Good

Cedarlane

Nature's Path

Snyders Pretzels

Notta Pasta

All participants who make a qualifying purchase while supplies last will receive a proof of purchase coupon redeemable for a one-year subscription (10 issues) to Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine. A maximum of 10,000 subscriptions will be offered in connection with the Promotion.